If He Only Had Been With Me

Author: Laura Nowlin

Genre: Suspense, Romance

Pages: 400

Other books: If Only I Had Told Her, This Song Is Not For You

Star Rating: 4.0 = Very Good

If you are looking for a heartfelt story this one is for you! This book takes you on a pre-teen/teenage love story journey. Normally, I don’t prefer to read pre-teen, high school love. I feel strange to read about minors in love? Those were my thoughts about the book at first but then it brought me back to that time in my life.

I remember being this age. Friends, teachers, cliques, reputation, how the author captures the teen’s perception and mind thoughts are what I remember and resonate with. When you are a teenager everything seems black, white and heavy. It’s a huge learning curve from being a child to an adult. The author describes Autumn, the main character’s, friendships and relationships so you can feel her emotions. I was able to relate how I internalized my emotions at that age. You read the pain and love and it hits you, the innocent love. Being a teenager in love and that’s all that mattered. You can picture yourself as Autumn in different chapters of her life.

Autumn lives next door to her best friend and later lover, Finny or Phineas. Their childhood was being together. They stayed over each other's houses, went to school, ate dinner and did homework. They were inseparable. Then high school comes with the classic high school cliques. Autumn doesn’t fall for the cliché stereotypes trying to be a popular kid but Finny, is the popular guy. Does their friendship end?

From middle school through high school, we are taken on this journey of breakups, heart ache, loss, depression, all the feelings and emotions that happen to friends and families through the years. We are always brought back to Autumn and Finny. What makes this story so likable is the need for these characters to come together but knowing the true ending.

What I also loved about this novel is the author leaves a huge bomb in the beginning so you are waiting for this bomb to drop. I found myself reading on and on for something to happen! One for the books, girl next door love story. Two characters growing up not knowing what love is but in love. Recommend to the women out there that remember being this age.